Steve McClaren will this week cast his eye over out-of-favour PSV Eindhoven striker Dennis Mortensen after handing the Dane a trial at the Riverside Stadium.

Steve McClaren will this week cast his eye over out-of-favour PSV Eindhoven striker Dennis Mortensen after handing the Dane a trial at the Riverside Stadium.

But the 20-year-old knows it will not be easy to impress the Boro boss, with McClaren having already looked at a clutch of foreign players on Teesside this term, with only French defender Franck Queudrue having made the grade so far.

With Brian Deane on his way to Leicester and Steve Baker released by the club last night, McClaren is steadily trimming his squad to clear the way for new talent.

And Mortensen - who has struggled at the Philips Stadion since his arrival at PSV in January - is hoping he can take advantage and win himself a dream move to the Premiership.

"I will train with the first-team squad until Friday," the striker said. "Time will tell if I end up with a contract offer but I am optimistic."

The former FC Copenhagen prospect is less than 12 months into a four-and-a-half year deal with the Eredivisie giants, although with a strong pool of strikers at his fingertips, coach Eric Gerets is prepared to let Mortensen leave.

Norwegian Under-21 international Morten Gamst Pedersen is another striker currently under scrutiny by Boro, while Swedish teenager Duong Tach is due back at Rockliffe Park next month after impressing during an initial trial spell.

McClaren is also keeping tabs on Hibernian's Scottish Under-21 skipper Ian Murray. Boro had the 20-year-old watched during his side's 3-0 league defeat against Livingston at the weekend. Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Baker has joined Scarborough after impressing on trial, while Gerard Robinson, Aaron Wilford and Paul Stephenson have also been freed by the Teesside club.

Meanwhile, Boro midfielder Jonathan Greening is looking forward to his third trip to Ewood Park this season on Saturday, with the 22-year-old keen to seek revenge for the club's Worthington Cup exit against Blackburn.

Greening has tasted victory in Lancashire once this term with the England Under-21 side, who beat Greece last month, although Boro lost to Rovers on penalties in the cup a few days later.

"I'm looking forward to it and looking forward to coming away with something," he said last night.

"We were unlucky when we went there in the Worthington Cup, we had a weakened team with a few youngsters playing but I thought we gave a good account of ourselves. Hopefully we can do the same again - but this time take something from the game. We're playing with more confidence now."